• Tips for raising resilient and well rounded kids. 
• How to navigate sensory overwhelm.
• Managing challenging behavior with toddlers.
• Parenting advice for the newborn phase.
• How to set your child up for success when switching between 'fun' and 'less-fun' activities.
• Ways to support your child when another sibling is often having a hard time. 

Resources Mentioned:
- What To Expect The First Year
- Happiest Baby on the Block
- Simplest Baby Book in the World

Questions for Dr. Courtney? Submit them at Phases.Fm and we may cover them in the next Q&A episode. 

• Is it normal when your little kids don't listen to you? 
• Is it normal if your younger kids are lying to you? 
• Is it normal that my kid is an excellent, well behaved student at school but an emotional wreck at home? 
• Is it normal that my teen is lazy and unmotivated? 
• Is it normal if my older teen is closed off or seems annoyed all the time?  

Tools Mentioned:
Visual Timer

White Board for Chores or Tasks

Questions for Dr. Courtney? Head over to Phases.fm to submit your question for the podcast! 

• Why summer travel can go wrong, but also why it's still amazing and we do it anyway!
• How to prep and plan with your kids even before the vacation starts. 
• Why it's important to not over schedule your trip. 
• What to pack (i.e. not just the clothes) and why it's so important. 
• How to think about travel activities for kids and why we let go of screen time worries. 
• Top tips for the day of travel (think busy airports or long car tips). 
• How to manage big behaviors on the trip while staying calm. 
• Remembering to think about adult time too! 

Questions for Dr. Courtney? Head over to Phases.fm to submit your question for the podcast! 

1. Creating coloring pages for kids (ideal for preschool - 2nd grade). 

Prompt: "A children's coloring page, featuring a "cute bunny, rainbows, unicorns and/or candy," thick clean black lines, minimalist, flat white background, no shading, no grayscale, whimsical and fun style, high resolution." **Tip: Will only do 1 page at a time. To create more, prompt with "Make another one" for as many as you need.**

2. Make a visual schedule for your family (works for any age - adjust for your kid's developmental level).

Prompt: "Make me a visual schedule for my family to use. It should have images and a chart easy to read." Then go into specifics... e.g. "We have 2 kids, ages 6 and 8. At 9am, we eat breakfast. At 10am, we play outside. At 12pm, we eat lunch. At 1pm, we take a nap. At 2pm, we play or go to the park. At 4pm, we read a book. At 5pm, we eat dinner. At 7pm, we take baths and get ready for bed. At 8pm, we go to sleep."

3. Create a chore chart for your kids to help around the home (works for any age - adjust for your kid's developmental level).

Prompt: "Make me a visual chore chart that my kids can check off each day. Chores include (specify here): e.g. walking the dog, emptying the dishwasher, making their bed, putting clothes away, taking out the trash and brushing their teeth."

4. Make a specialized feelings chart for your child to help them connect with and talk about their feelings.

Prompt: "Make me a feelings chart with 15 different feelings for a 7 year old. Add a script in the chart that says "I feel___ when ___. I need ____".

5. Create a boredom menu for kids to look at when they're feeling bored or need ideas on what to do.

Prompt: "Make me a chart that gives 10 different options my kids (age 6 and 8) can do when they are bored. Include visuals and the following ideas: read a book, draw, trampoline, marble run, eat a healthy snack, etc."

6. Develop an affirmation poster with your child that uses their words to describe their strengths and interests.

Prompt: "Can you create us a cool affirmation poster for a 9 year old boy? Here are his strengths: Playing Video Games, Coding, Making Funny Comics, Good at math & science, I'm nice, Im very funny, i'm a good doodler, extremely good friend." **Tip: Tweak as needed to make it look/sound like your child or have the aesthetic your child likes. 

Questions for Dr. Courtney? Head over to Phases.fm to submit your question for the podcast! 

• Why summer can be so disregulating for families. 
• How to structure your summer to provide a sense of balance and joy. 
• The reason why siblings fight more during the summer and what to do about it. 
• Juggling work and having kids at home. 
• Becoming intentional about your needs and how you want to show up as a parent this summer. 

Questions for Dr. Courtney? Head over to Phases.fm to submit your question for the podcast! 

• How games are legitimate learning tools to foster cognitive, academic, executive functioning and social skills. 
• The sense of structure and routine for your family that game nights provide, all while building connection. 
• Game ideas for all different phases of development - preschool through adolescence. 
• What to do when game nights go wrong (meltdowns, cheating and more). 
• How to make game nights stick in your routine. 

Links to Games

Preschool

• Zingo
• Sequence for Kids
• Candy Land
• Chutes and Ladders

Early Elementary (K-2nd Grade)

• Uno
• Sleeping Queens
• Pokemon Labyrinth 
• Monopoly Junior
• Connect 4
• Guess Who
• Rat a Tat Cat
• Clue Jr
• Charades for Kids
• Guess in 10
• Math Island
• My First Carcassonne 
• Ticket to Ride First Journey
• Catan Jr

Late Elementary (3-5th Grade)

• Cascadia
• Ticket to Ride
• Rummikub 
• Scrabble
• Sequence
• Settlers of Catan

Middle School+ 

• Codenames
• Scattergories 
• Monopoly
• Yahtzee 
• Exploding Kittens 
• Playing Cards
• Euchre

Cooperative

• Hoot Owl Hoot
• Outfoxed

Questions for Dr. Courtney? Head over to Phases.fm to submit your question for the podcast! 

• What is a Deeply Feeling Kid? 
• The concept of a Highly Sensitive Child, which was first introduced in the late 1990's. 
• The article's criticisms of the Deeply Feeling concept and how it says it failed many parents. 
• What are key signs of neurodiversity that you need to look out for if you have a deeply feeling child. 
• How neurodiversity and deeply feeling/highly sensitive kids often overlap. 
• What to do if you suspect your child may be deeply feeling/highly sensitive but also neurodivergent. 

Questions for Dr. Courtney? Head over to Phases.fm to submit your question for the podcast! 

• The research on confidence among kids and teens.
• What is confidence and where does it come from.
• Red flags to look out for as a parent that might indicate low self-confidence. 
• How your can help as a parent to improve your child's confidence.

Have a question for Dr. Courtney?
Submit it at: phases.fm/questions

• Why many parents are feeling so drained right now.
• Research on 'Good Enough' parenting from Donald Winnicott. 
• What Good Enough parenting actually looks like. 
• 15-Minute parenting resets for the busy season of the end of the school year.
• Effective parenting hacks that are 'Good Enough'.

Have a question for Dr. Courtney?
Submit it at: phases.fm/questions

• How to talk to your child about their neurodivergent brain, including whether you should use "labels" and your own experiences to help them understand. 
• Navigating what to do when your child and their friend (or siblings) have a conflict at your house. 
• Helping preschool-aged kids manage their big feelings and how to stay calm in the storm. 
• Knowing when to consider medication for a child with ADHD and how to work with their teacher to manage it.
• Does gentle parenting actually produce successful adults?
• What to do if your child has a big dream (professional sports; artist, etc.) and you want to be both realistic and supportive.

Resources Discussed:

https://explainingbrains.com/

https://www.understood.org/

Have a question for Dr. Courtney?
Submit it at: phases.fm/questions

Dr. Courtney and Scott talk about the surprising ways that anxiety might show up in your child. They discuss:

• What anxiety looks like in kids (and how it's different from adults).
• The worry cycle that kids often get stuck in and how to recognize it.
• How parents often respond to worry in ways that may make it worse for their kids.
• Tools to actually teach your child science-backed tools to help them (and you!) cope with it. 
• How to recognize when therapy may be a helpful addition to your child's life.

Helpful Resources Discussed:

Go Noodle Mindfulness Videos on Youtube
https://www.gonoodle.com/

Guided Anxiety Book (CBT) for Kids
https://amzn.to/423a8NL

Anxiety Book to Help Parents
https://amzn.to/4mEHn3P

If you liked this episode, let us know if you want to hear more about anxiety!

phases.fm

Courtney and Scott talk about what self care actually looks like when you’re parenting and already stretched thin. They talk about why self-care isn’t selfish (it’s how you stay regulated enough to show up), how it changes depending on what phase your kid is in, and how to find small pockets of time when your day already feels full.

Pick one small thing from this episode and try it this week.

phases.fm

In this episode:

• Where to start when you suspect a learning disability
• The difference between school evaluations and private evaluations
• What to say to your child's teacher (and what to ask for)
• Your legal rights as a parent and how to use them
• What an IEP and 504 plan actually are and how to get one
• How to advocate for your kid without feeling like you're fighting the system

In this episode:

• Why so many parents delay action (and why that's completely normal)
• Signs worth paying attention to from preschool through middle school
• The difference between "developing on their own timeline" and a true learning disability

If you're the parent lying awake wondering whether you should say something, you're not overreacting. Share this with someone who needs to hear that. 

In this episode:

What growth vs. fixed mindset really means (and what it doesn't)
The 1998 study that changed how we think about praise
Why your view of failure matters more than your view of intelligence
How fixed mindset shows up at every age
Practical scripts and reframes you can use tonight
Special considerations for neurodivergent kids

The Girl who Never Made Mistakes
https://amzn.to/3Pht3kX

Your Fantastic Elastic Brain
https://amzn.to/3Pcwqd2

Rosie Revere, Engineer
https://amzn.to/4dsWVov

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success
https://amzn.to/4bvG0PD

If traditional parenting advice isn't landing with your kid, you're not alone — and you're not doing it wrong. In this episode, Courtney and Scott break down five practical, science-backed strategies for parenting a child with ADHD. These aren't about fixing your child — they're about working with how their brain is wired. From rethinking how you give instructions to reframing what "good behavior" actually looks like, these small shifts can make a real difference. Pick one, try it this week,.

phases.fm

In the very first episode of Phases, Dr. Courtney Tolinski, a licensed clinical and educational psychologist with over 15 years working with families, sits down with her husband Scott to share their top 10 parenting tips for 2026. Grounded in child development, emotional regulation, and attachment theory, these tips cover how we communicate with our kids, how we manage our own stress as parents, and how to build connection through everyday moments. Courtney and Scott get real about what this looks like in their own home, from kitchen dance parties and 3D printer adventures to a Disney trip cancelled by a hurricane. If you're looking for judgment-free, psychology-backed parenting advice that actually feels doable, start here. Pick one tip that hits home and build from there.

phases.fm

We're Courtney and Scott — a married couple diving into the messy, beautiful, ever-changing world of raising kids and growing up alongside them.

Courtney brings her PhD in educational psychology. Scott brings… questions (and experience co-hosting Syntax.fm). Together, we're exploring family psychology, human development, and parenting — judgment-free.

What to Expect

• Real conversations about child development stages, behavior, emotions, and the stuff no one warns you about
• Research-backed insights made actually useful — no textbook lectures
• Relationship & identity — how parenting changes you, your marriage, and your sense of self
• Listener questions — bring your chaos, we'll bring the context
• Zero judgment — just honest talk from two parents figuring it out in real time

Coming Soon

• 10 Parenting Tips for 2026 — what's actually working right now
• 5 Hacks for ADHD — practical strategies from both sides of the diagnosis
• Self-Care for Parents — why it's not selfish and how to actually do it
• AI and Homework — how to guide kids in using tech as a tool, not a crutch
• The Anatomy of a Meltdown — what's happening in their brain (and yours)
• …and more

phases.fm
https://www.youtube.com/@phasesfm

Subscribe wherever you listen. New episodes dropping soon.